VCS engagement with regional and sub-region public

sector decision-making

Katie SchmueckerResearch Fellow, ippr north

This research is made possible by support from

Context

• New governance spaces at the regional and sub-regional levels

• Opportunity to develop a more deliberative democracy?

• Policy developments both regionally… – SNR

• …and sub-regionally – City regions

• Uncertain future following Conservative Green Paper Control Shift?– Unlikely in practice to herald end of regional / sub-

regional tier

Background

• Part of wider ippr north programme of work on regional / sub-regional governance

• Main focus: economic development (broadly interpreted)

• Rhetorical commitment to the engagement of the VCS in policy-making

Key research questions

• What is rationale for VCS engagement with strategic partnerships at the regional and sub-regional levels in England?

• What is the perception of strategic partnership working at the regional and sub-regional level among VCS leaders and infrastructure organisations? And in the public and private sectors?

• What steps does the public sector need to take to engage with the VCS more successfully?

• What steps does the VCS need to take to further develop engagement with the public sector at the regional and sub-regional levels?

• What skills, traits and competencies should be displayed by VCS leaders in order to engage more effectively?

Methodology

• Desk based research• Focus groups

– 1 x frontline organisations; 1 x infrastructure organisations

• Interviews– VCS, Public and private sector

• Online Survey– 137 responses– Good spread of respondents, although highly

engaged

Why the research matters?

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Regional Sub-regional

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Regional Sub-regional

…and for work of organisation…

Regions / Sub-regions regarded as Important for policy making…

Why the research matters?

…but don’t feel able to feed in views and experience

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Regional Sub-regional

Emerging findings-Why engage?

VCS believes has much to offer…

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Emerging findings-Why engage?

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Regional Sub-Regional

• Input is valued by the public sector– Especially in relation to employability and

skills– But how deeply rooted?

• Argument needs to be that engagement will improve policy outcomes

Emerging findings-Why engage?

Emerging findings- Perspectives on strategic engagement

Relationship has improved……but still concerns about tokenism• Complexity and capacity two key issues:

– Complexity of the public sector structures– Resourcing and capacity of VCS infrastructure

organisations a concern…– …as is their complexity– And the myriad of VCS voices makes

representation challenging

Emerging findings- Perspectives on strategic engagement

• Relationship between large VCS organisations and infrastructure organisations?

• Power relations with the public sector

• Personal relations with the public sector

Emerging findings- Skills for strategic engagement

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Emerging findings- Skills for strategic engagement

• Broadly in line with VCS Skills Survey 2007– Information/research/policy; partnership

working; negotiating and influencing; communication

• Public sector also highlighted:– Strategic thinking; interpersonal skills;

awareness of other organisations’ limitations; understanding of politics

Tentative conclusions- Collective actions

• Joint responsibility for developing greater stakeholder engagement?

• Shared approaches to deepening understanding?– Movement between sectors?– Inter-organisational rather than inter-personal

relationships?– Joint training?

Tentative conclusions-Actions for the public sector

• Survey respondents would like to see engagement through:– VCS infrastructure organisations (73%)– Inviting VCS representatives onto boards and

partnerships (72%)– Regular outreach sessions and events

specifically for the VCS (70%)

Tentative conclusions- Actions for the public sector

• Accessible information? • Dedicated resources to support VCS

engagement?• Structured engagement – duty to engage; LSP-

type model?• A corporate approach to the VCS - implementing

the compact?• Simplifying the regional and sub-regional

processes of strategy development?• Simplifying the regional and sub-regional

bureaucracy?

Tentative conclusions- Actions for the VCS

• Skills development?• Invest in more policy officers - perhaps shared?• How can feedback and representation

mechanisms be further developed?• Moving beyond individuals?

– Succession planning; career development

• Streamline own bureaucracy?• Share good practice?• Develop a concept of ‘VCS citizenship’?